An offering placed before the head of Buddha at the ancient site of Ayutthaya in Thailand, and local people making offerings at a shrine in front of the Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar (Rangoon, Burma). Within Asia, many ancient objects and buildings play an important role in popular religious belief, yet some heritage agencies have been reticent in acknowledging this. A consideration of local religious practice should inform heritage conservation approaches to ensure the intangible value of sites is respected. Photos: Kristin Kelly.